Avery and I go to the Barnes & Noble pre-school reading time a few times a month. It is in the morning, so it is mostly SAHM with kids 4 and under. Avery will finally sit through the stories. There is a “teacher” who reads 3 or 4 stories with a theme, then we do a craft.
Ok, so there is one girl who comes all the time that is not in pre-school. She is 7 and homeschooled by her mom. I find her very annoying because she answers questions the teacher asks (i.e. She was reading a rhyming story and was trying to get the kids to guess the next word. Or the teacher aks a question- what do you think will happen next) and the girl kept blurting it out! She always comments on the books being read; I already read that book, I love that book, I have that book…
I just find her annoying. Since the reading time is for pre-schoolers I don’t think she should be there. She doesn’t have any younger siblings that are there so… why is she there? Am I just complaining?
17 responses to “Complaint”
Maybe she really needs that time and connection in her life.
Maybe you should ask whoever is in charge to remedy the situation. If she’s interfering that badly, then other parents probably feel as you do. It’s for preschoolers, not for home schooled first graders. Her mom should start a special reading group for her own daughter’s age.
i seriously think 80% of people that home school are doing it because their own school experience was emotionally damaging. probably due to their own parents not teaching them how to deal with others in the world. why wouldn’t they pass that on to the next generation?
actually, i forgot about the parents that don’t want their kids to know about evolution and s-e-x. so i guess that makes conservatives: 60%, emotionally damaged: 35%, and random others (cultists, farmers, etc) making up the rest.
This also is the situation when we go to gymnastics. There is a mom that comes with her son who is 4 and her two older kids who are about 10 and 12 years old. It is stated on the flyer that it is an open gym time for preschoolers, ages 18 months to five years. The two older kids aren’t “bad” per say but it’s just that they are there… around… When I mentioned it to the guy at the front desk he acted like I was crazy… and told me that there are people working on the floor that moderate that. Yes, but didn’t they walk right past you to get in there? They are there every single week. I am tempted to ask the older kids why they aren’t in school…
Michel- Do you mean the mom? All she did was go through her bills this last time. There is a story time for older (school age) kids on Friday nights. The Ventura County Public Library System also has reading times set aside for different age groups and has “reading groups.” From the description it sounds like a book club type thing.
If the girl needs a connection in her life… then go to school!! I’m not being mean or anything but if you are going to home school your kids set stuff up for them… I know there are places that have special times set aside for home school kids- the gymnastics place we go to, the pool up the street from me…
Well, it sound a little complain-y, but I think it is inappropriate if it is supposed to be preschoolers. Is she mentally challenged in any way? I am totally annoyed by Nathans comments about homeschooling. Why the heck do homeschoolers get such a bum rap? I know there are weird homeschooled people, but believe me there are weird kids everywhere. Argh. I’ll stop there.
i don’t care much for anti-social, counter-cultural (as opposed to sub-cultural) behavior and i see home schooling is doing that. beyond my understanding of the reasons, i just don’t understand why people want to draw a box around themselves and their families and never let anyone in, regardless of the motivation. like i said on my blog, people have a right to educate their kids however they see fit, so i support the right to home school, but would never do it myself.
so there’s my carefully stated explanation of the bum wrap. i just figured i could be offensive and have a little fun with it since it’s sara’s blog.
that was me…tee hee
* No, the girl from B&N is not mentally challenged at all. I am not the only one who feels that she shouldn’t be there. I have heard a few moms make comments too.
* The stereotype is that home school kids are a little “weird” because they are more sheltered from the world than other kids. For the most part, I would have to agree. Sometimes you meet kids and can tell right off that bat they are home schooled… I do know two people who were home schooled all the way through hish school and turned out pretty normal…
* True that there are weird people everywhere… private and public school. Somehow I’ve met a lot of them!
* I agree with Nathan that I would not choose to home school my kids either. I don’t think that one person can teach one other person all they need to know. I know there are home school co-ops that work pretty well. I realize that kids have different learning styles but there are different charter schools around that can cater to that. I just feel that a “regular” school experience is important. Now if we lived in the Bronx or in Compton I may feel differently!
I thought I could comment, too. I don’t think traditional school is right for everyone, nor is homeschooling. You cannot say that homeschooling is wrong for all kids. I understand your choosing not to homeschool, but saying that those who do are mostly comprised of conservatives and people who had bad experiences in school is very narrow minded. If Jared was ok with it, I would homeschool and I’m neither conservative and I had a great school experience – I went to private and public. Really, I don’t think you know much about any people who homeschool (Nathan). None of the people I know who homeschool fit your description at all. Maybe I’ve found all the exceptions, but I doubt it. PS I’m just stating my opinion, so don’t take it all personally.
true, i haven’t met many people who home school, but i have met a lot of people who were home schooled and have heard how they describe the experience and what their parent’s motivations were (often agreeing with them). could you explain why you would home school? if i’m getting it wrong or missing the motivation, maybe you could clear me up.
damn, i keep switching computers! that was me again!
Don’t worry, Nathan – the grammar makes it pretty obvious who those comments are from. 🙂
I’m not a huge fan of home schooling (like Martha mentioned), but I also wouldn’t assume things about the motivations of people who choose to do it. Some parents might do it for what we would consider “the wrong reasons”, some might not, and I’m pretty sure every parent that reads this has made wrong decisions about how to raise their kids that they believe are right.
As for this particular issue, (the girl out of her age group) I think Sara brought up several other good alternatives to having her in a preschool group, and hopefully the Mom would be willing to explore those, since it isn’t really fair to the other kids that are there.
you mean capitalization, cuz my grammar kicks ass!
Yes, I meant capitalization, but that is part of grammar.
Why I would homeschool: (and yes, I am a teacher in a traditional style school)
I believe there is much time wasted in the classroom that could be better put to use outside in the world. There are so many lesson that could be taught “outside” but the constraints of the classroom prevent that. I think many kids have way more potential than they can express in a class of 25 becuase there is so much time spent waiting for the kids who don’t “get it” or to finish certain curriculum requirements. It offers more opportunities for focus on problem areas and to quickly get through easier parts. It allows kids who excel, to excel further, and those who have issues to get more attention. Those are just a few reasons. Oh yeah, and I want to teach my kids about S-E-X. Not my daughters 9 year old friends.